Bicycle



' (No Model.)

, 3 'SheetsSh eet 1,.. BARNES, Sr. & C. O. BARNES.

BICYCLE.

No. 535,188. Patented Mar. 5, 18.95.

INVENTORSI P 2%fifl i y' ATTORN EV (N o ModeL) v Q 3Sheets-8het 2; L. BARNES, Sr. 82 G. O. BARNES 'BUJYOLE.

No. 535,188. Patented Mar. 5, 1895.

INVENTORS:

ATTORNEY ml: mums versus co.. M10104 mm. \VA5KINGTON, a. 0.,

(No Model.) 3 sheetsgsheet a. L.' BARNES, Sr & G. 0.BAR NES.

BICYCLE.

Patented Mar. 5; 1895.

' Z INVENTORS.

222mm RN EY WITNESSES;

UNITED sweet I Enron.

ATE

LUOIEN BARNES, SR, AND CHARLES O. BARNES, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,188, dated March 5, 1895.

Application filed June 18, 1894. Serial No. 514,376. (No model.)

To a. whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LUCIEN BARNES, Sn, and CHARLES 0. BARNES, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State ofNew York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bicycles, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the construction of the frames of bicycles. Said frames are usually formed of metallic tubing, and the members of the frame arejoined to each other by couplings of various forms. The most common coupling at present in use consists of a ferrule embracing one member and a thimble projecting from the side of said ferrule and receiving the end of the adjacent member which is brazed therein. This form of coupling possesses sufficient strength to firmly unite the members of the frame and impart the requisite rigidity to the frame, but such couplings add considerable Weight to the frame and present enlargements at the joints whereby the appearance of the. frame is marred. Besides this the durability of the frame is impaired by the crystallization of the metal at the junction of the member with the thimbles, embracing the ends thereof and arresting thereat the vibrations imparted to the members of the frame when the bicycle is in use. These defects have been partly overcome by abutting the ends of the members directly against the sides of the adjacent members,'but the couplings in such cases failed to possess the requisite stability to render the frame strong and durable.

The object of this invention is to obviate all of the aforesaid defects and at the same time otherwise improve the frame;and to that end the invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts as hereinafter fully described and set forth in the claims.

In the annexed drawings Figures 1 and 2 are side views of two styles of bicycle-frames embodying our improvements. Fig. 3 is a horizontal transverse section through the front post immediately above the lower strut-bar.

'Figs. 4: and 6 are enlarged sectional views respectively on lines --Y-Y- and ---O-O-- in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is atransverse section on line ZZ--' in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detached perspective view of one of the clipplates by which the members are united. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the angle plates by which the aforesaid clip'plate is fastened to the interior of the tubular member. Fig. 9 is a side view of said angle plate. Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line U-U- in Fig. 1. Fig. llis an enlarged front view of the upper end portion of the steering fork. Fig. 12 is a transverse section viewed from the line -'-33' upward. Fig. 13 is atransverse section on line -14.- in Fig. 12. Fig. 14 illustrates a modified form of coupling. Fig. 15 is a transverse section on line 55 in Fig. 14., and Fig. 16 is a de tached perspective view of one of the attaching stems shown in Figs. 1a and 15.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The main frame of the bicycle consists ofthe usual frontpost A-, central post -P- tied to the front post by the struts (J- and O-, the steeringfork B- having its post or shaft B extending through and journaled in the front post, the braces DD'- extending rearward respectively from the top of the central post P and crank hanger and united and mounted on the axle of the rear wheel in the usual and well known manner.

-F-- denotes the crank hanger for the crank axle.

The aforesaid members of the frame, we tie to each other by our improved metallic couplings which are constructed as follows: The front ends of the two struts O and O' we attach to the front post A- by cutting short vertical slots a,-- in the rear of. the post A- at the points of attachment as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Through each of said slots we insert endwise into the post two clip-plates ccdisposed with their sides contiguous to each other and forming with their outer endsa rearward projectin g stem -c. The inserted portions of said plates we spread apart and bend them so as to form a segmentalshaped cross-head --c concentric with and contiguous to the interior of the post to which said cross-head is brazed so as to be permanently secured thereto. The struts O and --O- abut with their ends directly against the exterior of the post and thus cause the vibration of either member to be transmitted to the companion members. The abutting end of each of said struts is provided with longitudinal slots a'. The rigidly rearward projecting stem c'- is inserted into the end of the strut and is of sufiicient width to enter the slots a-in ,which it is brazed. To further secure said stem to the strut and guard against splitting the same by the strain exerted at the junction of said members, we employ cheek-pieces or angle-plates d-dwhich extend the entire length and width of the internal portion of the stem c' and are brazed thereto, and are formed with longitudinal flanges d'd which are brazed to the interior of the tubular strut and with end-flanges cZd" brazed to the exterior of the post A as more clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The described angle-plates fasten the parts so firmly together that the slot -afor the reception of the edges of the stem cmay in some cases be dispensed with.

In a frame of the form shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, we attach the rear end of the upper strut -O and forward or upper end of the braces DD to the central post P by means of the clip-plates eee as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Each of these clip-plates is formed with a segmental central portion e' by which it is fitted to the exterior-of the post P. The segmental portions of the three clip-plates completely embrace said post and are brazed thereon. The end portions of each clip-plate extend radially from the post and are joined and brazed to the end portions of the adjacent clip-plate, and thus form rigid stems e"- The ends of the braces DD- and strut C abut against the exterior of the segmental portions e and are preferably slotted longitudinally to receive the longitudinal edges of the stems e" which are inserted into the ends of said braces and strut, The stems are brazed in the slots and the attachment is reinforced by the cheek-pieces or angle-plates dd hereinbefore described brazed to the stem e-- within the strut -O, and to the interior of the latter, and exterior of the segmental portion -cof the clip-plates.

The foot of the post P and adjacent ends of the lower strut G'- and brace D', we attach to the crank-hanger --F in the manner illustrated in Fig. 10 of the drawings, '5. a, three sets of clip-plates -cc-care employed, one set for each of the members to be attached to the hanger F. Each of said sets is constructed to form the segmental cross-head -c"- which is brazed to the interior of the hanger -F and has the stem -c-- extending through a slot in the side of said hanger and inserted and brazed in the end of the tubular member which abuts directly against the exterior of the hanger F-, the attachment being reinwhich pass through vertical slots g'g'- in the inner sides of the limbs and extend across the interior thereof as shown in Fig. 13 of the drawings and are permanently secured therein by clip-plates h-h similar to the clip-plates cc hereinbefore described and brazed to the end portions of the tie-plates and to the interior of the limbs These tie-plates we preferably form in one piece of sheet steel folded upon itself and into the shape of a cylindrical sleeve 0.' along the line of folding, as illustrated in Fig. 13 of the drawings. The base of the steering-post B is provided at opposite sides with vertical slots it through which the tie-plates g-g pass and in which they are brazed. The sleeve i also passes through correspondingly shaped orifices in the sides of the aforesaid base and limbs of the fork.

In bicycle frames of the style shownin Fig. 2 of the drawings, we prefer to employ trussrods for strengthening the frame, said trussrods being composed of two rear end sections t'- suitably connected at their rear ends to the rear end portions of the lower braces --D-, and the front section t which is bent at the center of its length and embraces thereby the front of the front post, and the rear ends of said section are connected to the front ends of the rear sections t' by turn-buckles v by means of which said truss-rods can be tightened when required. To the bottom of the crank hanger is attached a stirrup by which the central portion of the frame rides on the aforesaid truss-rod.

To obviate weakening the abutting end of the tube by slitting the same longitudinally, we prefer to form the stem c' of a width corresponding to the internal diameter of the aforesaid tube and form the flanges d'-d' directly on said stem and braze them to the interior of the tube as shown in Figs. 14 and 15 of the drawings.

The braces -dd termed cheek-pieces or angle-plates in other parts of the specification, are in this case riveted to the sides of the stem and secured jointly with the cross-head c of the stem respectively to the inner and outer sides of the other tube by rivets uand thus firmly unite the two tubes. This is our preferred construction.

What we claim as our invention is- 1. The combination, with two metal tubes, one of which abuts with its end against the side of the other, of a metallic coupling consisting of a stem formed at one end with a segmental cross-head projecting laterally in opposite directions from the end of the stem and secured contiguous to the inner peripheral surface of one of the tubes, the stem of the ICO coupling passing through the side of said tube and into the abutting end of the adjacent tube, and angle-plates on opposite sides of the stem and brazed to the interior of the latter tube as set forth.

2. The combination, with two metallic tubes, one of which abuts with its end against the side of the other, of a metallic coupling consisting of a stem formed of two plates fastened together side by side and passing through the side of one tube and into the abutting end of the adjacent tube, angleplates on opposite sides of the joined plates and brazed to the interior of the latter tube, the opposite end of the combined plates being spread apart and bent segmental shape to conform to the inner peripheral face of the first named tube and fastened thereto as set forth and shown.

8. The combination, with two metallic tubes, one of which abuts with its end against the side of the other and both slotted longitudinally at their junctions, of a coupling consisting of a stem formed at one end with a segmental cross-head secured contiguous to the inner peripheral surface of one of said tubes, the stem passing through the slot in the side of said tube and into the slots of the abutting end of the adjacent tube, angle-plates on opposite sides of the stem having longitudinal flanges seated on the interior of the latter tube and formed with end-wings lapping onto the exterior of the other tube inside of the abutting tube, and brazings uniting all of said parts substantially as described and shown.

4. In combination with the central post P, the clip-plates ee--e. formed with segmental central portions embracing said post and each of said plates having its end portions extending radially from the post and contiguous to those of the adjacent clip-plate, the strut C and braces DD- abutting against the exteriors of the aforesaid segmental portions and provided with longitudinal slots in their abutting ends and receiving in the slots the end portions of the clip-plates, and the angle-plates brazed to opposite sides of said end portions and to the interiors of the strut and braces as set forth and shown.

5. The combination, with two metallic tubes, one of which abuts endwise against the side of the other, of a metallic coupling consisting of a stem passing through the side of one tube and formed at its inner end with a segmental cross -head conformed. to and brazed to the interior of said tube, the outwardly projecting stem being inserted into the end of the abutting tube, and an gle-plates brazed to opposite sides of the stem and formed with longitudinal flanges brazed to the interior of the abutting tube, and with end-flanges brazed to the side of the companion tube, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the steering-post, of the fork -B- formed of flattened tubes -F-F united by tie-plates GG passing through the inner sides of the tubes and across, the interiors thereof, clip-plates h hbrazed to the end-portions of the tie-plates and to the interiors of the tubes, said tie-plates being formed in one piece folded upon itself and formed with the cylindrical portion -ialong the line of folding and passing through corresponding slots and orifices in the base of the steeringpost substantially as set forth and shown.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names this 19th day of May, 1894.

LUOIEN BARNES, SR. [L. s.] CHARLES O. BARNES. [L. s]

Witnesses:

JOHN J LAASS, O. L. BENDIXON. 

